Battle of Langye

The Battle of Langye was fought in 194 AD when the army of Liu Bei defeated the Han army of Wang Yun as it attempted to evacuate Langye Commandery. Liu Bei destroyed the former garrison army of Langye as it withdrew south, ending the threat to his rear flank and allowing for him to focus on rescuing the Emperor.

Background
In 194 AD, the warlord Liu Bei inherited Tao Qian's lands in Xu Province, giving him control of a sizable amount of land in northeastern China. Before Liu Bei could move to truly defend the Han, however, he had to secure his own borders. The city of Langye to the southeast of Liu Bei's main base of Dong Commandery was controlled by Han forces loyal to Dong Zhuo, so Liu Bei marched his large army of 2,000 troops from Taishan to Langye after defeating another Han army in the Battle of Xintai. Liu Bei arrived at Langye in the spring of 194 AD and convinced the city to peacefully submit to his rule, ousting Wang Yun's defending Han army. Wang Yun sought to march south to other Han-controlled lands, but Liu Bei refused to allow for a Han army to threaten his rear flank in the event that he was to advance west along the Yangtze River and free Emperor Xian of Han from captivity in Chang'an. Liu Bei thus led his army out of Langye and attacked Wang Yun's army just south of the city in autumn.

Battle
Wang Yun's army set up a fortified encampment to the south of Langye, so Liu Bei and his sworn brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei planned a two-pronged assault on the base. The small garrison of Langye would make a feint at the side entrance of the camp, distracting some Han troops from the defense of the main entrance. Meanwhile, the Three Sworn Brothers would assault the main Han force and defeat it. At the start of the battle, Guan Yu challenged Wang Yun to a duel and slew him after lopping off his leg with his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and Liu Bei's army soon overwhelmed the Han army and nearly annihilated it.

Aftermath
Liu Bei's victory at Langye ensured that the city remained under his control, and he now controlled land stretching from the sea in the east to the border with Yingchuan in the east. Liu Bei then set about achieving his main goal of rescuing Emperor Xian of Han from Dong Zhuo's forces, leading his main army west along the south bank of the Yangtze River and through his neighbor Liu Dai's lands (which he did with his consent), while another army under Zhao Yun and Jian Yong marched west along the northern bank of the Yangtze from Henei. For a brief period, Liu Bei was only at war with Dong Zhuo and his Han puppets, but Zhang Yan's declaration of war at Henei proved to be another obstacle that Liu Bei had to deal with.